Hungarian Rhapsody
In the past, I based my opinion of Hungarian cuisine on a cookbook purchased at a flea market.
This was some years ago. And, I thought the food from that country to be limited to meats and vegetables served in sour cream and paprika. Also, cabbage, beets and green beans seemed the only vegetables featured. Dill weed and paprika powder were about the only seasonings to flavor dishes enriched with sour cream. Most of the recipes in that book were just a rearrangement of these five ingredients. There were a lot of soups and stews. They were in one form or the other with paprika-seasoned gravy on everything. These were recipes featuring meat, vegetables or dumplings. I knew there must be more to a cuisine that comes from a country that has been crossed, conquered and ruled by so many nations and peoples.
The Hungarian cuisine of today is a rich one .
It is based on meats, fresh produce, cheese, dairy and bread. Hungarians are fond of roasted meats and rich stews. Also, casseroles with a variety of ingredients and seasonings. Many of their meat dishes are comprised of more than one type of meat. These flavorful dishes can be found cooked in creamy gravies, some with fruit. And, even though Hungary is a land-locked country, fish dishes make up an important part of the diet. Especially for the people living along the many rivers that cut through the country.
Ground beef, pork and lamb are stuffed into peppers and cabbage leaves.
Sausage-making is practiced among their butchers and farmers. These sausages will find their way into countless dishes. Also, meatballs and smoked meats may accompany these sausages in stews. Game also finds its way onto the Hungarian table.
Hungarians are fond of noodles and dumplings, stuffed or not.
The potato was introduced to the region long ago. Hungarian cooks immediately embraced the South American tuber as their own. That can also be said for the pepper, another New World invader. Paprika powder has become associated with Hungarian cuisine. Many people are surprised to learn the paprika pepper is not a botanical native to Hungary. It was introduced just a few hundred years ago.
Hungary has a rich agrarian and nomadic past.
The Hungarian people have always grown grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, they have tended herds of animals. The broad plain surrounding the Danube River produces a wide variety of vegetables and exceptional fruits. Onions, cabbage, green beans, potatoes and beets are grown. Also, red and green bell peppers as well as hot peppers, carrots and turnips play a part in everyday cooking. Their fine fruits are often simmered in stews thickened with bread or powdered spices. Hungarian cooks also like to create cold fruit soups. This same region is also home to viticulture, producing fine wines.
Modern day spice preferences are numerous.
They take the cook far beyond the limited selections I found in the flea market cookbook. There is a long list of typical spice rack finds in the Hungarian pantry today. Along with the quintessential paprika powder, there is anise seed, basil, bay, caraway, chervil and chives. Also, dill, garlic, horseradish, juniper, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg and mace are popular. The list goes on to include onion, oregano, parsley, peppercorns, poppy seed, rosemary, summer savory, French tarragon, thyme and vanilla.
Popular grains in the Eastern European diet are rice, millet, oats and of course, wheat. Hungary just isn’t all that far from the origins of these cereal foods. They have been part of the local diets for hundreds, possibly even 2,000 or more years.
Animal husbandry has been a long-established pursuit dating back to the original nomadic tribes.
Dairy products made their way into the diet long ago. Yogurt, sour cream and curdled cheeses enhance so many dishes in Hungary. This includes their addition into breads and pastries. Even though butter is so very common in use, lard is frequently used in cooking. It is plentiful, and traditional. Even though Hungarians have a deep love of beef, pork is probably the most popular meat. This preference to pork goes back to when the Turks invaded the country. When they raided Hungarian farms, all the animals were led away except the swine. Pork was forbidden by the Turks’ religion.
Hungarian cuisine is a rich amalgamation of Asian, European and Middle Eastern influence.
Truly, Hungary is a meeting of East and West. Cultural influences come from the Germans, Turks, Armenians and Italians. Also, Jews, Austrians and the original nomadic Magyar played a major role. This translates into recognizable dishes from these countries. The Magyar, who arrived around 800 A. D. are responsible for one-pot stews in the Hungarian repertoire of recipes. Most food historians agree that the famous Hungarian Goulash came from these humble origins.
Hungarian cooking was raised to a higher standard during the reign of King Matthias.
He ruled from 1458-90 with his Italian wife, Queen Beatrice. She brought Italian cooking influences to the Hungarian kitchen.
Turks invaded in the 16th century bringing New World vegetables such as potatoes and peppers. Also, Eastern spices and coffee made their way into Hungary as these invaders crossed the land. It is the Turkish conquest that introduced phyllo dough and stuffed vegetables to the Hungarian table.
The Hapsburgs reigned from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. This Austrian influence introduced German styles of cooking. This period of rule was the rise to Hungary’s famous pastries.
Communist rule produced shortages and altered traditions.
Cooks, no matter where in the world their kitchens or campfires rest, are adaptable. And, they deal with whatever is available. This is part of the evolution of cuisines around the world over the millennia. Today, restaurant chefs in Hungary are recreating original Hungarian cuisine. It is becoming many times more healthy. This is due in large part to the elimination of lard in food preparation.
I have long been a fan of goulash and dishes such as chicken paprika.
My usual pot of goulash will hold meatballs, sausages, and chunks of beef or pork. Also, vegetables such as carrots, rutabaga, celery, onions, sweet peppers and potatoes. I love to serve a pile of buttered spaetzle beside my goulash. It is a wonderful foil for the rich gravy of the dish. A green salad will round out and balance a goulash meal nutritionally.
So, as the weather cools down, enjoy the recipes that follow.
They are a good representation of Hungarian cooking.
Hungarian Beef Stew
Equipment
- 5-quart soup kettle
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut in 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 2 Tbsp. paprika powder
- 1 Tbsp. dried dill weed or ¼ cup fresh, chopped
- 2 tsp. onion granules or powder
- 1 tsp. anise seed crushed
- ½ tsp. garlic granules or powder
- 1 onion halved and sliced
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut in 1-inch slice
- 1 medium rutabaga peeled and cut in 1-inch cube
- 1 pound small new potatoes halved
- 1 14-ounce can beef broth or 2 cups homemade
- 1 soup can water
- 1 15-ounce can tomato juice
- 1 large bay leaf
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and brown in the kettle with the oil.
- Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook 2 hours over medium-low heat.
Pork in Plum Sauce
Equipment
- 5-quart soup kettle
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork roast cut into 2-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. paprika powder
- 1 Tbsp. dried dill weed or ¼ cup fresh, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. dried spearmint or ¼ cup fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano or 1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp. dried French tarragon or 1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp. allspice powder
- ½ tsp. dried thyme or 1 tsp. fresh, stripped from stem
- 1 pound fresh plums peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1 14-ounce can chicken broth or 2 cups homemade
Instructions
- Season pork with salt and pepper; brown in the oil.
- Stir in the vegetables and cook, while stirring, until soft and lightly browned.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, while stirring, until it combines with the pan juices.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. cover and cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours.
Notes
Boiled Potatoes with Dill
Equipment
- 5-quart soup kettle
- 3-quart Dutch oven or cast iron kettle
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes unpeeled
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. dill seed crushed
- ¼ tsp. caraway seed crushed
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. dried dill weed or ¼ cup fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in salted water until done. Allow to cool; then peel and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Melt butter in the Dutch oven. Add the potatoes along with salt and pepper to taste and the caraway and dill seed.
- Cook over medium heat, while stirring, until potatoes are reheated.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
- Cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Spaetzle
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
- 3-quart saucepan or kettle
- Slotted spoon or mesh spider
- Colander
- Pastry bag or zippered baggy
- small knife
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 1 egg beaten until frothy
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp. water or broth
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Place the water in the kettle and bring to a rolling boil.
- While waiting for the water to come to a boil, mix the dumpling batter.
- Whisk the egg, milk and 1 tablespoon of water together.
- Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk just until free of lumps.
- Place batter in the pastry bag (without a tip), or the baggy. Snip a half-inch off the tip of the plastic bag. Do the same if the pastry bag is a disposable one.
- Over the boiling water, hold the bag of batter about 6 inches above the water line and begin to squeeze until about an inch of batter exudes from the bag.
- Use a paring knife for this: With a slicing motion placed at the mouth of the bag, slice downward so the inch of batter drops into the boiling water. Continue until all the dough is used up.
- Do this rather quickly so all the dumplings cook at the same time. Boil for about 8 minutes.
- Remove spaetzle with the slotted spoon and place in the colander to continue to drain.
- Toss gently with the butter or oil and serve immediately.